U.S. patent number 5,794,318 [Application Number 08/798,438] was granted by the patent office on 1998-08-18 for combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Batesville Casket Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Daniel J. Parker, Mark H. Thesken.
United States Patent |
5,794,318 |
Parker , et al. |
August 18, 1998 |
Combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container
Abstract
A combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container
comprises a decorative water fountain adapted to circulate water
from a water source upwardly and to allow the water to cascade
downwardly and an openable and closable compartment adapted to
contain cremated remains of a deceased. The fountain includes a
water reservoir, a pump and plumbing. The plumbing has a first end
connected to the pump and has a second end open to atmosphere and
located above the reservoir. The pump is operable to pump water
from the reservoir upwardly through the plumbing. The openable and
closable compartment comprises a bowl for receiving the cremated
remains therein, the bowl being removably securable to the
fountain.
Inventors: |
Parker; Daniel J.
(Connersville, IN), Thesken; Mark H. (Cincinnati, OH) |
Assignee: |
Batesville Casket Company, Inc.
(Batesville, IN)
|
Family
ID: |
25173406 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/798,438 |
Filed: |
February 10, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
27/1; 40/406 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G
17/08 (20130101); E04H 13/008 (20130101); E04H
13/003 (20130101); E04H 13/001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61G
17/08 (20060101); A61G 17/00 (20060101); E04H
13/00 (20060101); A61G 017/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;27/1,2 ;40/406,407,409
;239/16,17 ;428/13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Woodstock Chimes, Instruments of Nature, 20 pages, .COPYRGT.1996.
.
Woodstock Chimes, Instruments of Nature, 6 pages .COPYRGT.1995.
.
Woodstock Chimes, Presenting six new ways to go around the world of
music, 6 pages, .COPYRGT.1997. .
Virginia Metalcrafters, 10 pages, .COPYRGT.1994. .
Planter Box, grey, two leaves, 1 page, undated. .
Planter Box, brown, two leaves, 1 page, undated. .
Wall Fountain, 1 page, undated. .
Virginia Metalcrafters, Latticework Wall Fountain, 1 page, Spring,
1996..
|
Primary Examiner: Nguyen; Kien T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wood, Herron & Evans
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container
comprising:
a decorative water fountain adapted to circulate water from a water
source upwardly said fountain including an upwardly extending
decorative structure over which the water cascades downwardly;
said fountain including an openable and closable compartment
adapted to contain cremated remains of a deceased.
2. A combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container
comprising:
a decorative water fountain adapted to circulate water from a water
source upwardly and to allow the water to cascade downwardly;
said fountain including an openable and closable compartment
adapted to contain cremated remains of a deceased;
said fountain including a water reservoir, a pump and plumbing,
said plumbing having a first end connected to said pump and having
a second end open to atmosphere and located above said reservoir,
said pump being operable to pump water from said reservoir upwardly
through said plumbing;
said openable and closable compartment comprising a bowl for
receiving the cremated remains therein, said bowl being removably
securable to said fountain.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said fountain includes a
basin containing said water reservoir and a structure extending
upwardly from said basin.
4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said second end of said
plumbing is positioned such that water exiting therefrom cascades
down said upwardly extending structure.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said bowl is removably
securable to a lower side of said basin.
6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said plumbing extends
upwardly along a rear, normally concealed from view surface of said
upwardly extending structure and said second end extends through
said upwardly extending structure to direct water exiting therefrom
along a front, normally visible surface of said upwardly extending
structure.
7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said upwardly extending
structure includes a region on said front, normally visible surface
for including a personalized inscription memorializing the
deceased.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said upwardly extending
structure includes on said front, normally visible surface
decorative flowers over which the water may cascade.
9. A combination ornament and cremation container comprising:
a decorative water fountain adapted to circulate water from a water
source upwardly and to allow the water to cascade downwardly;
said fountain including an openable and closable compartment
comprising a bowl for receiving the cremated remains therein, said
bowl being removably securable to said fountain.
10. A combination ornament and cremation container comprising:
a decorative fountain;
means for continuously circulating a liquid through said
fountain;
said fountain including an upwardly extending decorative structure
over which the liquid cascades downwardly,
an openable and closable compartment connected to said fountain and
adapted to contain cremated remains of a deceased.
11. A combination ornament and cremation container comprising:
a decorative fountain;
means for continuously circulating a liquid through said fountain;
and
means for containing cremated remains forming a part of said
fountain.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to funeral products, and more
particularly to cremation containers for displaying cremated human
remains contained therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cremation is a growing segment of the funeral industry.
Consequently, there is an increasing demand for more and higher
quality styles and designs of cremation containers.
One popular design theme for cremation urns is the outdoor/animal
theme. Five such designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des.
356,421, 370,767, 370,766 and 370,768, and U.S. Patent application
Ser. No. 08/733,882, all of which are assigned to the assignee of
the present invention and are hereby incorporated by reference
herein as if fully set forth in their entirety.
Other, more traditional styles of cremation urns are disclosed in,
for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 344,839, 345,848, 356,422 and
360,732, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present
invention and are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if
fully set forth in their entirety.
All of the above-described cremation containers are adapted to be
displayed in the residence of a loved one of the deceased, for
example, on a fireplace mantel, coffee table, end table or the
like.
There is a continuing need for attractive, yet somewhat
non-traditional, progressive or alternative, means for displaying
the cremated remains of a deceased by a loved one wishing to
memorialize the past life of the deceased.
Accordingly, it is a main objective of the present invention to
provide an alternative means of displaying the cremated remains of
a deceased for memorial purposes by a loved one of the deceased
which is in contrast to the more traditional types of cremation
containers presently in display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the stated objective, the present invention is a
combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container. The
combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container comprises
a decorative water fountain adapted to circulate water from a water
source upwardly and to allow the water to cascade downwardly, and
an openable and closable compartment adapted to contain cremated
remains of a deceased.
The fountain preferably includes a water reservoir, a pump and
plumbing. The plumbing has a first end connected to the pump and
has a second end open to atmosphere and located above the
reservoir. The pump is operable to pump water from the reservoir
upwardly through the plumbing. The openable and closable
compartment comprises a bowl for receiving the cremated remains
therein, the bowl being removably securable to the fountain.
The fountain includes a basin containing the water reservoir. A
structure extends upwardly from the basin. The second end of the
plumbing is positioned such that water exiting therefrom cascades
down the upwardly extending structure. The bowl is removably
securable to a lower side of the basin. The plumbing extends
upwardly along a rear, normally concealed from view surface of the
upwardly extending structure and the second end extends through the
upwardly extending structure to direct water exiting therefrom
along a front, normally visible surface of the upwardly extending
structure. The upwardly extending structure includes a region on
the front, normally visible surface thereof for including a
personalized inscription memorializing the deceased. The upwardly
extending structure may further include decorative flowers or the
like on the front, normally visible surface over which the water
may cascade.
The main advantage of the present invention is that a combination
lawn/garden ornament and cremation container is provided which
provides a loved one of a deceased an alternative, somewhat
nontraditional yet nonetheless attractive means of displaying the
cremated remains of the deceased.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become more readily apparent during the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein, in
which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the combination
lawn/garden ornament and cremation container of the present
invention; and
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination lawn/garden
ornament and cremation container of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a
combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container of the
present invention, designated generally by the numeral 10. The
combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container 10
comprises, generally, a decorative water fountain 20 adapted to
circulate water from a water source upwardly and to allow the water
to cascade downwardly, and an openable and closeable compartment 40
adapted to contain cremated remains of a deceased.
The fountain 20 includes a water reservoir 22, a pump 24 and
plumbing 26. Plumbing 26 includes a first end 28 connected to the
pump 24 and a second end 30 which is subdivided into ends 32 and 34
which are open to atmosphere and which are located above the
reservoir 22. The pump 24 is operable to pump water from the
reservoir 22 upwardly through the plumbing 26. The openable and
closeable compartment 40 comprises a bowl 42 for receiving cremated
remains 44 therein which may be encased within a plastic bag 46 or
the like. Bowl 42 is removably securable to a basin portion 36 of
fountain 20 via a bolt 48 which threadably engages a tapped boss 50
projecting downwardly from a lower surface 52 of the basin 36.
Silicone caulk or the like is used to seal the bowl 42 to the basin
36.
Ends 32 and 34 of the plumbing 26 have positions such that water
exiting therefrom cascades down and upwardly extending structure 60
which extends upwardly from the basin 36 of the fountain 20. In
particular, the plumbing 26 extends upwardly along a rear, normally
concealed from view surface 62 of the upwardly extending structure
60. Ends 32 and 34 extend through the upwardly extending structure
60 to direct water exiting therefrom along a front, normally
visible surface 64 of the upwardly extending structure 60. The
upwardly extending structure 60 further includes a region 70 on the
front, normally visible surface 64 thereof for including a
personalized inscription memorializing the deceased. In addition,
the upwardly extending structure 60 may further include on the
front, normally visible surface 64 decorative flowers or the like
72 over which the water may cascade.
A suitable fountain 20 from which to fabricate the present
invention is available from Virginia Metal Crafters, Waynesboro,
Va., as part Nos. 9931or 6547.
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous
adaptations and modifications which can be made to the present
invention which will result in an improved combination lawn/garden
ornament and cremation container, yet all of which will fall within
the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the
following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only
by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *